Walking Right out of My Life
by cOokIng PoT
Summary: AU! Updated! Finally, the end. Everything comes to a close, each walking out of another's life, only to walk back into yet another's one. Who ends up with who? Last Chpt Epilogue added . Enjoy.
1. Prologue

My only guess is that this story will be the ONLY story which I shall continue writing.... wonder how that really sounds.   
  
This is an AU. Pretty much get the idea of what's happening in the prologue. Characters are about 25 plus. Think working adults. Standard Disclaimers apply.   
  
Walking Right out of My Life  
  
Tsukushi sat down on the cold hard seat, trying hard to keep herself warm. The airport was eerily quiet and deserted, save for a few passengers who were boarding the early morning flights.  
  
Feeling bored, she decided to take a walk around the airport. She hardly had time to do so when she was working in the past. She rubbed her hands together furiously as she got up.   
  
The two cashiers did not even bother to greet her as she entered the 24-hour convenience store as they carried on talking. Tsukushi stopped by the candies section.   
  
"It's so unbelievable! If only I could ever get close to Doumyouji Tsukasa! He's the richest man in Japan!" A younger cashier babbled. Tsukushi suddenly tensed up.  
  
"Che, and get your heart broke? Such a man would be so busy he wouldn't even have time for you! I guess that was why Okawahara Shigeru divorced him." The older cashier chided.  
  
"But they did not even love each other! It was an arranged marriage! And besides, he did fall in love with the lawyer who handled his case!" The younger one retorted.  
  
"She's just a shameless slut."  
  
"You are just jealous of her!" The young cashier retorted. "Man, I would recognize that lawyer anywhere! She's so pretty!"   
  
"Passengers for flight 198, please board at gate 15. Passengers for flight 198, please board at gate 15." Tsukushi was grateful for the announcement and headed out of the convenience store. In her haste, she bumped into the younger cashier.   
  
"Sorry, are you okay?" The young woman asked apologetically. Her eyes suddenly widened in disbelief. Tsukushi felt uneasy and merely nodded before walking briskly out of the shop.  
  
"Oi, come and help me. What are you staring at?"   
  
The young woman merely pointed at Tsukushi's retreating figure. "I think I just spotted Makino Tsukushi, the lawyer we were talking about."   
  
*  
  
Tsukushi waited in line to get pass the customs. She hesitated as she waited for her turn to come.   
  
She turned, hoping against hope that he would somehow magically appear. She laughed at her own foolishness.  
  
How could he even come when she did not even tell him she was leaving?  
  
If only she had stopped in front and read the headlines of nearly every newspaper carefully in the store. If only she had chose to wait for a little while more. If only she knew how much she meant to him. For nearly every newspaper carried her photograph, with a plea from the wealthiest man in Japan printed below, "Tsukushi, I beg you to come back to me.'  
  
Tsukushi handed over her ticket and walked past the customs officers. And with every step she took, she walked further out of Doumyouji Tsukasa's life.  
  
~Usual plea for reviews! ^.^ This will probably the only story i will work on for the next couple of months/years. .~~ 


	2. Don't Mess With Me

Whoa! Lovely reviews I got out there! First chapter up! *cheers* Tsukushi does not appear in here...but some tension abounds! . . what an interesting intro...usual disclaimers apply.  
  
Don't mess with me.  
  
"Damn it! I am asking you to find ONE woman for me and you are telling me you can't even do that?! Just get the hell lost! NOW!" Tsukasa slammed his fist onto the table and kicked the last of the annoying private investigators out.  
  
He flopped onto his business chair and ran a hand through his mess of dark curls, a sigh inadvertently escaping from his lips. He picked up the photograph of Tsukushi. It showed her staring out into the sea, her hazel-brown eyes filled with a unmistakable sadness.  
  
And he had taken it just before she had left him. On their last date together at the beach. How could he had missed all those little warning signs? Her sad eyes, her distractedness, everything was so wrong that day yet he had failed to recognize it. And in his failure to do so, he had lost her.  
  
Just like that.  
  
With another sigh, Tsukasa swirled in his swivel chair to face the blue sea. Tsukushi had always commented on the nice ocean view his office enjoyed. Just then, his private investigators entered his office hastily.  
  
"Mr Doumyouji, Miss Makino left a letter at Mr Hanazawa Rui's office."  
  
*  
  
"I just don't get it. Tsukushi won the case for Tsukasa, got Tsukasa to fall in love with her and now she's gone just like that?!" Akira exclaimed, holding a piece of paper and waving it frantically in front of Rui.  
  
"Let me see!" Soujiro scrambled for the paper. "Oh my gosh. You are not kidding me."   
  
"Tsukushi's a real idiot."  
  
"I say she has positively gone nuts this time." Soujiro drawled.   
  
"What the hell can she be thinking about anyway?"   
  
"Beats me."  
  
Rui merely sat at his table, his head bowed, hands clasped firmly together. Despite the ruckus, which Soujiro and Akira were making, he thought calmly. He had always been the one to not lose his cool or head at that when confronted with any situation. And perhaps this ability was such an asset to the F4 that he somehow managed to keep either of the three from killing anyone.  
  
Just then, the door to Rui's office banged open and a furious Tsukasa stormed in with Rui's secretary rushing in behind. Akira and Soujiro tried frantically to keep the letter out of sight while Rui merely dismissed his secretary, looking cool as ever.   
  
"Rui! Why didn't you tell me about the letter?!" Tsukasa demanded and banged his fist on Rui's table.  
  
"Tsukasa, cool it man!" Akira and Soujiro tried to pacify the fuming guy.  
  
Rui merely looked at Tsukasa coolly, refusing to answer.  
  
"For goodness sake, ANSWER ME RUI! AND SHOW ME THE DAMN THING!" Tsukasa kicked Rui's table, hard. Akira was about to hand over the letter when Rui snatched it away from him.   
  
"I didn't see a reason to." Tsukasa's eyes widened in disbelief as Akira and Soujiro stared at Rui in shock.  
  
"WHAT?!" Tsukasa sputtered.  
  
"Rui, do you know what you're saying?!" Akira screeched.  
  
"Tsukasa, you have no right to know anything about her. You hurt her. You caused her to be labeled as a shameless homewrecker. You don't own her Tsukasa. Besides, the letter was addressed to me, not you."  
  
"Damn you Rui! You don't come teaching me about relationships! You couldn't even handle yours with Shizuka so don't come teaching me what to do!"   
  
"Tsukasa!!" Soujiro shouted. Rui's failed relationship with Shizuka had always been a raw nerve for Rui, which has caused him to lapse into depression for nearly 3 months and the guys agreed never to talk about it.  
  
Rui's eyes flashed angrily. Soujiro and Akira backed off immediately. Rui and Tsukasa stared at each other, their eyes filled with immense anger. Tsukasa pursed his lips, while Rui clasped his hands together. The tension in the office was enough to kill.  
  
Just then, Tsukasa's handphone rang. Akira and Soujiro heaved a small audible sigh of relief as Tsukasa broke off the silent fight.   
  
"Really Rui, you should have just given him the letter, why start a fight..." They chided.  
  
"Hello? WHAT?! Someone saw her at the airport?! She's flying off?! Damn it! I'm going over!" Tsukasa thrust his cellphone back into his pocket as the other three stared at him.  
  
"I'll settle this with you another time." Tsukasa warned Rui and took off, banging the door once again. Akira and Soujiro stared at Tsukasa's fleeting image and looked back at Rui again only to find him standing up.  
  
"I'm going to the airport."   
  
"Rui?! Let Tsukasa do it HIMSELF. Don't make matters worse." Akira frowned in objection.  
  
"He'll just piss the hell out of her again." Rui answered. Before he could get through the door, Akira and Soujiro stood at the door, blocking it, their faces serious.  
  
"We need to talk, Rui." Soujiro said.  
  
"There's nothing to talk about." Rui tried to push his way through but Akira held him back and looked straight at him in the eye. Rui stopped struggling with Akira.  
  
"You like Makino Tsukushi."   
  
~~11:41pm.Not a really captivating first chapter but oh wells. More to come in future...I hope. . . Usual plea for reviews. Thanks to Toinks, GreenCookie, BlackAmoria, fresh8, pinkmaniac, XxSwtDreamerxX1, myzee and wicked for being the first few encouragers! 


	3. You Broke Me

Bad week I had, so perhaps this chapter might seem a little more angsty than usual. And still at a slow pace this chapter is. Disclaimers apply, as usual.  
  
You broke me.  
  
Tsukushi settled into the comfortable airplane seat. She was tired, she was drained. She was no longer the Makino Tsukushi she had once been.  
  
She opened her bag to search for her eye pillow and her hand brushed against a file. She hesitated but took out the file eventually. In Rui's all too familiar handwriting, the top of the file read 'Doumyouji Tsukasa's Divorce Case'.  
  
She hesitated once again, not daring to flip the file open. She put the file back into her bag and sank into the seat, a sigh escaping from her lips. She closed her eyes and could not help but see him.  
  
Tsukasa.  
  
The memory of him talking excitedly of jetting off to Dubai with her to spend what he proclaimed 'the best holiday' ever, his face lit up with happiness as he held her hand firmly, the wind caressing his face as they sat on the sand by the beach.   
  
He was happy.  
  
But she had taken this happiness away from him. Rather, she had withdrawn it selfishly away from him. She did not want to do it. She wanted to see him smile again. She wanted him to hold her hand again.  
  
"You caused Tsukasa's and Shigeru's marriage to break up. You never gave them a chance to reconcile. Can you forgive yourself for being a family wrecker? Can you? If you can, you are nothing but a shameless woman."   
  
The words continued to ring in her ears, continued to haunt her as she watched Tsukasa's mother say those words. Every word bore deep into her heart, burned deep into her.  
  
"Tsukasa is too good for you."  
  
She was right. Tsukasa was too good for her, too good to be true. One of the wealthiest man in Japan, he gave her all the love she wanted in a man, he could provide comfortable for her. It seemed too real a love story.  
  
Tsukushi left because she knew she would never be good enough for Tsukasa.  
  
*  
  
"You like Makino Tsukushi." Akira uttered the very words which Rui had tried to deny for such a long time. The fact that he had suddenly lost his grip on Akira had merely proved this simple point.  
  
"Look Rui, we've been best buddies ever since we were 5 and you could actually think such an important thing would actually escape us?" Akira asked. Rui remained silent as Akira slapped his forhead.  
  
"Rui, it's not that we don't want to stop you from liking Tsukushi, but you must understand this woman is the woman our best friend Tsukasa wants to marry!" Soujirou said, trying to knock some sense into Rui.  
  
Rui knew about all this. He had thought about this a long time ago, ever since he started liking Tsukushi when she had first entered Etikou Law School. He still remembered how gusty she had been by being the first and only person ever to scream at him for being such a useless idiot.  
  
"HANAZAWA RUI! Listen you BAKA! If you don't do your part for the project, I am NOT GOING TO DO ANYTHING FOR YOU!"  
  
She still helped him anyway. But her personality had captured him immediately. Brillant, passionate and charming, she spoke with a sharp tongue, but had a heart of gold. He had never interacted with such a person before and before he knew it, he was falling for her.   
  
Rui was a calculating person. Although he seemed to doze off half the time, he was an observer. He knew Tsukushi would win the case He thought by assigning Tsukasa's divorce case to her, she would be able to win it. But he had never thought of the two of them falling for each other.  
  
Makino Tsukushi. How intertwined his life had become with hers. Never in his wildest dreams did he ever think that he just had to fall in love with the same woman as his best friend. He did not blame Tsukasa. He blamed himself. He blamed himself for not taking the first step earlier. He blamed himself for the lost opportunity.   
  
"Rui, I know it is selfish of us to tell you this. But you have to forgo Tsukushi." Akira and Soujiro lapsed into silence as they watched Rui. They only knew of his little problem when they started noticing how he flinched when Tsukasa was gentle towards Tsukushi, how he smiled when Tsukushi was talking to him, how he reacted. They saw, they heard, and they understood.  
  
"Rui, for the sake of our friendship, don't go." Akira pleaded. Rui blamed himself for Tsukushi's departure. He blamed himself for letting Tsukushi suffer so much. He saw how crushed she was when people started labeling her as a 'home wrecker' after reports were published on her romance with Tsukasa. She stopped being the Tsukushi she was.   
  
And he wanted to make up to her for that. For letting her know Doumyouji Tsukasa.  
  
Rui looked at Akira and pushed his way past Akira.   
  
"I am going."  
  
*  
  
The red Ferrari sped down the Tokyo Highways towards the airport. Tsukasa looked anxiously at his watch which read 9:48.   
  
Tsukushi was due to fly off at 10:00.   
  
Tsukasa gripped his wheel tightly. He gripped it as though he were gripping Tsukushi's hand, not willing to let her go.   
  
She had planned to leave him all along. And he had thought he would be a happily ever after ending for the both of them. After all, she had been the world to him. She had allowed him to realize the true meaning of love.  
  
Marrying Shigeru had only been another of those corporate decisions his mother had made for him. He knew Shigeru had tried her best to get him to love her back, but he just could not bring himself to do so.  
  
He had divorced Shigeru was the best option to let her find her own happiness since she could never find hers with him. But he never did realize that he was actually freeing himself at the same time.  
  
Tsukushi allowed him to enjoy the ecstasy of falling in love, to experience new feelings and desires he had never felt before. He wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.  
  
Tsukasa stepped harder on his gas pedal.  
  
~~Never thought I could get a chapter out this week with the current state I am in. Haven't been giving Tsukasa much action this time, should be doing so in the next chapters. The next chapter promises to be at a faster pace. (I really don't know why I am letting Tsukushi remain stuck on the airplane) Thanks goes all out to all my reviewers. 


	4. Memories

After putting this story aside for a few months, I decided that I had some inspiration so here it is!

**Memories**

"Good morning passengers, this is your captain speaking. The plane is due to fly off in 10 minutes. Please buckle up. Approach the air stewardesses if you require assistance. Thank you."

Tsukushi buckled up and found herself staring aimlessly out of the tiny window. The soft hues of the early sunrise streamed into the tiny window and bathed with face. She could hardly feel the warmth of it, sadly.

_"This sunrise is so special, because you watched it with me." Tsukasa turned to look at Tsukushi and smiled. He took her hand and gripped it tightly. "Let's watch the sunrise together everyday."_

And suddenly, Tsukushi found tears streaming down her cheeks. She thought of the happy times she had with him, and what she had promised Shigeru.

I'm so sorry. She buried her face in her hands as she couldn't help but cry.

--

"Good morning Mr. Hanazawa." Tsukushi greeted chirpily as she walked into his office. Rui was dozing away on his table. She smiled and gently ruffled his hair. He stirred a little, and opened his eyes slowly, looking at her sleepily.

"Eh? It's morning already?" He yawned. Tsukushi merely shook her head.

"You really shouldn't be working too late into the night. I'll get you a coffee."

"Thanks." Rui muttered before he fell back onto his table. Tsukushi paused before she opened the door and looked at him. She sighed as she left. It was all too clear why Rui was turning into a workaholic.

To put it simply, Rui had been dumped. Dumped by his girlfriend of 5 years. Just that he would never admit it, as it was in his character to do so. He always bottled up his feelings.

"Coffee." Rui woke up and proceeded to down the whole cup. "You wanted to see me regarding...?"

Rui stared at her before finally remembering to take out a file. "New case for you, Tsukushi." She took it and looked at the cover. _'Doumyouji Tsukasa's Divorce Case'_

"In case you're wondering, yes, that's my friend. The wealthiest man in Japan- Doumyouji Tsukasa. I'm asking you to take over his case because I can't handle it as people might say I'm biased. And I have full confidence that you'll win it." He smiled.

"Is it complicated?" Tsukushi merely asked.

"Well, depends on how you define 'complicated'. In terms of assets, there should be no problem because the two signed a pre-nuptial agreement of which a copy can be found in side. The problem is getting the other party's consent." Tsukushi raised her eyebrow.

"You see, Tsukasa wants the divorce but his wife doesn't. And you have the task of trying to convince his wife to sign it."

"Now, that's complicated." Tsukushi said and Rui chuckled.

--

The first meeting with Tsukasa had gone disasterously horrible. Tsukushi had waited for nearly 2 hours for Tsukasa to be done with his meeting and had immediately pounced on him when he emerged from the meeting room.

"Mr. Doumyouji, I'm the lawyer handling your divorce case and there are some details I..."

"Do whatever you want. I just want a divorce as soon as possible. Bill any expenses to my account." Tsukasa said before waving her away.

"EXCUSE ME. I waited for you for TWO BLOODY hours and you're telling me to do whatever I want. I hope you understand this Mr. Doumyouji, getting a divorce is not as easy as saying 'I want a divorce'!"

"Isn't that the reason WHY I got a lawyer?" Tsukasa said coolly. "I'm a busy man so please do not bother me with such things. Bye."

--

Tsukushi was fuming mad when she arrived back at the office. Sojirou and Akira had been lazing around Rui's office when she stomped in.

"Woah! Storm alert!" Akira said before he burst into laughter with Sojirou.

"Rui, your friend is totally unreasonable and RUDE. I refuse to handle this case." Sojirou poked Akira.

"He has a bad temper, Tsukushi dear. Always had, still have and always will have." Akira drawled.

"But he's downright disgusting! I can't believe anyone can take a divorce so lightly..."

"That's because his marriage was a sham." Rui replied. "He was forced to marry a woman he didn't love at the age of 18."

"But still..."

"Look Tsukushi, if I got you to marry a guy whom you didn't love, would you want it?" Akira asked.

"HELL NO!"

"Bingo. That's it. That's why Tsukasa wants a divorce."

"Akira...but..."

"No buts Tsukushi. Not all clients are easy to handle and take this as a challenge. Get Shigeru's signature on the piece of paper and you're done."

--

_"Shigeru..." _

_"No more buts Tsukushi. I'm signing the divorce papers." Shigeru smiled. "Tsukushi, I'm signing it because I know you are the one for Tsukasa. You have to promise me you will love him and never leave him no matter what happens." _

_"I will, Shigeru. I will."_

_--_

"Miss, are you feeling alright?" An air stewardess asked, concerned.

"Sorry, but I want to get off this plane. Now."

--

Tsukasa raced towards the boarding gate and somehow managed to wangle his way inside. But he stopped suddenly.

At the mouth of the gate, Rui was hugging a crying Tsukushi.

--

okay, I seriously hope I didn't confuse readers. . Reviews muchly appreciated.


	5. A Brewing Storm

I apologize for not updating earlier. Anyway, here's another chapter to cheer you guys up! Btw, if you wondering how Rui managed to reach the airport earlier, I don't exactly have an answer. Oops.

Standard Disclaimers Apply

**A Brewing Storm**

Rui was hugging Tsukushi. _His_ Tsukushi. Tsukasa's fists balled up instinctively and wordlessly strode over. Everything happened in such a short time that no one actually knew what happened.

What everyone saw was Tsukasa punching Rui in the face, sending him flying to the floor.

"RUI! SHE'S MINE!" Tsukasa thundered, grabbing Tsukushi's hand roughly as Tsukushi stared in shock. "What were you thinking of doing?!"

Rui massaged his jaw gently and felt something warm. _Blood_. Tsukushi tried to squirm away under Tsukasa's strong grip to no avail.

"Maybe you're right, I don't know what I am doing…" Rui said plainly as he got up and turned around, his back facing Tsukasa's. He paused. "I really don't know why I am doing this…" He spun around suddenly and socked Tsukasa in the eye, grabbing Tsukushi's hand at the same time.

"But I do know you don't deserve her."

Tsukasa stumbled backwards from the blow but he quickly recovered and swung another fist towards Rui, only for the blow to be stopped by…

His eyes widened in surprise when he saw Tsukushi standing in front of Rui, his fist slammed right into her shoulder.

"Stop it, please. Stop it." Tsukushi begged, the tears spilling over, painfully aware of what her action meant.

Tsukasa stood there, unable to speak. When he finally spoke, his voice was shaky.

"You're shielding Rui? You really don't want me anymore, Tsukushi?" Tsukushi bit her lip and looked away. "Tell me Tsukushi." His question turned into a plea as his eyes begged her to say something.

Tsukushi looked at Tsukasa in the eye, and for a moment, found herself quivering. She loved this man but she knew she had to say this. She had to. She forced back the tears which threatened to spill once more, and drew a shaky breath.

"I don't want to have anything to do with you anymore."

Her voice firm, her gaze steady, she was left standing there as Tsukasa shook his head in oblivion, biting his lip hard and running out of the terminal. She would have collapsed onto the floor if not for Rui who held her up and for the second time, allowed herself to cry in front of Hanazawa Rui.

---

The words cut into him, piercingly. Tsukasa accelerated, oblivious to the dangerous speed he subjected his car to. It couldn't be. It can't be! Whatever he had been hoping for was gone. Destroyed.

He sped dangerously into a small road and finally slammed his brakes. And for the first time in his life, Tsukasa bent over and cried.

---

"You brought her back? Where's Tsukasa?"

"He ran off."

"What happened Rui?"

"We fought and stuff."

"Just like that?"

"Yeah."

"Come on Rui! That guy happens to be your best friend! HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN HOW MUCH YOU OWE HIM?!" Akira's voice raised to a crescendo as Soujiro tried to hush him repeatedly.

Tsukushi opened one eye slowly and groggily propped herself up. She found herself staring at an unfamiliar ceiling. Oh wait; this was Rui's house. She got up and looked in the mirror. She looked horrible.

"Rui! Like can this get into that dense brain of yours?!" Tsukushi opened the door to see Akira screaming at Rui, who sat there impassively.

"Akira. There's nothing we can do…Oh hi there Tsukushi! Trust you had a good sleep?" Soujiro spied her peeping and smiled an all too cheery smile. Akira waved, his earlier frown disappearing.

"Eh…yeah." Sensing the awkward silence, she tried to sound a little more upbeat. "Shall we go for breakfast? I'm starving!"

Soujiro immediately joined in the façade, sensing that the little spat Akira and Rui were having was not going to be resolved that quickly. "Why not? I know of a little café that just opened down the street…"

"I'm not going." Rui said immediately. Instead, he looked at Tsukushi and motioned for her to sit down on the sofa next to him. "Stop pretending Tsukushi. Tell us what happened."

And everything crumbled again as the awkward silence pervaded. With a sigh, Tsukushi sank into the sofa. At least she owed the three of them an explanation for the recent turn of events.

"Shigeru's pregnant."

---

Shigeru paced about anxiously, looking at the driveway. When she saw Tsukasa's sleek Ferrari pull up the driveway, her creased eyebrows disappeared and she smiled.

"Welcome back. Where were you earlier?" Tsukasa did not reply and took off his jacket, handing it to the waiting maid.

"I'm tired. I'm going to sleep." He said nonchantly.

"Wait!" Shigeru said anxiously. "I have something to tell you!"

"Tell me that when I wake up." Tsukasa said irritably. "And in case you have forgotten, you signed the divorce papers already. So effectively, I am not married to you anymore." He started up the stairs.

"I'm pregnant." Tsukasa stopped in his tracks suddenly. He turned around slowly.

"What did you just say?" He hissed.

"I'm pregnant." Shigeru said in a small whisper.

---

Okay, that's it. Cliffhanger for you guys! Reviews muchly appreciated.


	6. Things are not the way they seem

I apologize for the lag in updates! Another chapter for you guys! I'll try my best to update! Do read my other story in PoT: Sitting, Waiting and Wishing.

**Things are not the way they seem**

No, that could never happen. Tsukasa had never slept with Shigeru. No, wait. No, it can't be. It can't be that night. He was drunk that night, but he couldn't have!

He stared disbelievingly at Shigeru. "No, this can't be…"

"Yes, it is."

"But I…"

"That night." Shigeru said softly. And reality hit Tsukasa straight in the face as he finally realized the gravity of the situation he was in.

* * *

"WHAT!" Akira shrieked when Tsukushi broke the news to them. "But Tsukasa NEVER slept with Shigeru!"

"He must have." Soujiro drawled, swigging his tequila. "After all, they were married for two years. Surely he would have had sex with her somehow."

Tsukushi bit her lip to stop the tears from flowing. Soujiro was right. How could Tsukasa have not slept with Shigeru? Just when she thought she could lead a happy ever-after with Tsukasa, things just had to take such a drastic turn.

* * *

_flashback_

Shigeru sipped her coffee. "So the both of you will be heading to Paris? Paris' a nice place!" She said, with a twinkle in her eye.

Now that the divorce proceedings were finally over, Tsukushi found it much easier to breathe with the media not hounding her. Also, Shigeru had turned out to be a great friend.

"Well, I told Tsukasa that I wanted to visit Hawaii, I mean it's a much nicer place but he is insistent on Paris." Tsukushi shrugged as she bit into her toast. Shigeru smiled. "We had this huge fight but in the end, he turned up with this ridiculously huge bunch of flowers… SHIGERU!"

The next thing Tsukushi knew of that morning at the café was that Shigeru had slumped over in her seat and she found herself pacing outside the hospital ward anxiously. Finally, the doctor emerged from the hospital room.

"Are you are her sister?"

"Her friend."

"Can you reach her husband?"

"They're divorced…" Tsukushi said uncertainly. The doctor nodded knowingly.

"Oh. She fainted because she has a low iron level in her blood. The patient will have to ensure she gets sufficient iron in her diet because it will not be good for the baby in the long run."

Tsukushi stared at the doctor in shock.

"Baby?" The doctor looked at her, surprised.

"Yeah. She's 3 months pregnant already."

* * *

Shigeru had pleaded with Tsukushi to keep it a secret from Tsukasa, crying and begging Tsukushi not to tell Tsukasa because she did not want the both of them to be tormented by this fact.

"We're divorced already, it won't make a difference to him!"

But it was not right, Tsukushi protested. It would be unfair to Shigeru and her unborn child. But at Shigeru's insistence and also not to upset her for fear of the baby, Tsukushi had kept mum.

"So you left Tsukasa because of this?" Akira asked. Tsukushi nodded slowly. "What a mess." He muttered as he closed his eyes and leaned back into the sofa.

"What a utter, horrendous mess. With a baby thrown in." Soujiro added for good measure.

After remaining silent throughout the whole conversation, Rui finally spoke up. And what he said was not what Tsukushi was expecting at all.

"I think Shigeru's trying to break the two of you up." The two playboys and Tsukushi looked at him simultaneously. "Don't you think it's too much of a coincidence? Just when the two of you have gotten together, she suddenly talks about this?" Immediately, a barrage of words came exploding forth from the rest.

"Rui, are you insane? Here, take a shot." Soujiro offered his glass.

"I think too much sleep has caused your brain to degenerate. Have you been watching 'Days of our Lives'?"

"Shigeru will never do that." Tsukushi stated firmly. "She's not the conniving sort." Rui looked at Tsukushi.

"Precisely because you think she's not that sort makes you all the more susceptible to her ploy."

"You're wrong! How could you say that! She begged me not to tell Tsukasa!"

"But she knew by doing so, you will be wrecked with guilt and leave Tsukasa all the same."

"STOP SAYING THAT OF SHIGERU!" Tsukushi's voice rose in a crescendo as she stared angrily at Rui. Rui merely looked nonchalant. "I know you mean the best for me but it's wrong to say Shigeru is the conniving sort!"

"Tsukushi, tsukushi," Rui said as if addressing a particularly stupid intern at his law firm, "You are too emotional and irrational which is why you make easy prey." He glanced at his watch, which read 10:15 am. Tsukushi sputtered, her face flushed with outrage but unable to say anything more because Rui had hit the nail on the spot.

Rui always did that with Tsukushi, but he did it because they were so familiar with each other.

"And one thing for sure, I know the baby is not Tsukasa's. I had better get going. Tsukushi, you stay here for today. Akira and Soujiro, I trust the both of you will keep her company?" He rose to leave.

"Why are you so sure?" Akira asked.

"I just know." Rui said and closed the door behind them. What the trio did not see was the creased forehead with a troubled expression in those eyes. But what Akira and Soujiro did know was that Rui was hiding something and the traded looks of suspicion.

* * *

"So what do you want me to do?" Tsukasa asked, finally. The two of them sat opposite each other, in the dining room. After Shigeru had broke the news to him, they had spent the whole night up in the dining room, in silence.

"I… I don't know." Shigeru said, casting her eyes downwards.

"Then why did you tell me this if you don't want something out of it!" Tsukasa struck out angrily. He got up, the chair scrapping against the marble floor. "I'm tired." With that, he left.

Shigeru unconsciously reached for the small bump on her stomach. When Shigeru was in high school and reeling from her first break-up, her mother had comforted her by saying, "If you really love the man but he doesn't love you, the best thing to do is to let him go. Love is learning to let go."

But Shigeru was selfish. And she wanted Tsukasa to be with her, whether or not he loved her. Although she never showed that side of her, we all know that everyone has that dark side to them.

"Shigeru-sama?" The butler came forward. "Hanazawa Rui is waiting outside. He requested to see you immediately."

Shigeru took in a deep breath. She knew he would come soon.

"Tell him I'll be down in a short time." The butler bowed and took his leave to convey the message. Shigeru caught her reflection in the mirror and turned away. She did not want to see herself.

'I am sorry, Tsukushi. I have no choice. We just have to blame fate for making us love the same man.'

* * *

Reviews muchly appreciated. 


	7. We are All Beautiful

I sincerely apologise for the glaring lack of updates. Chapter 7. For you all.

**We All Are Beautiful**

Rui slouched into the comfortable, yet strangely familiar sofa in the drawing room. The familiarity with the house reminded him of his love and hate for Tsukasa. But this was not the time to reminisce as the door to the room swung open and Shigeru walked in.

She was beautiful. But not as beautiful as Tsukushi.

Shigeru motioned for the servants to leave, leaving only the two of them in the room. She sat down, adjusted the cushions and leaned into them.

"I knew you would come."

"Why?" was the simple question, with a steely gaze added in.

"Why not?"

Rui laughed self-deprecatingly. "Very good. You learn fast."

"Thank you." Shigeru's hand went unconsciously to the small bump. Rui hardened his look.

"That's not Tsukasa's." It was not a question. It was a statement, plain and simple. Shigeru paused.

"I did sleep with him."

"You slept with Kunisawa more."

"Are you accusing me?" Shigeru asked, making a very good effort to keep calm. Being the unnerved lawyer, callous and hardened by the coporate world, Rui was not ready to give up.

"I wasn't. It's a fact. You had an affair with him. Probably still do."

Shigeru chuckled. "He's missing. He disappeared the minute he knew I was pregnant. Asshole."

"So you want Tsukasa to assume responsibility?"

"There's no knowing whether he's the father. I have to protect my child."

"And yourself. You are just a selfish bitch." Rui said coldly. The room was frigid and the two stared down at each other. "And you want Tsukushi to pay for your mistake." Shigeru snapped at that.

"She stole my husband from me!" Her voice raised, as her eyes widened. "What was I supposed to do? Stay at home and watch Tsukasa fall in love with someone else but me?!"

"You knew he never loved you."

"I thought time would change that. Rui, please. I have to have someone around. And the scandal... Tsukasa will divorce me immediately and my parents will disown me. I cannot afford that…."

"You already knew the consequences of your actions." Rui simply said as he stood up to leave. He had enough of Shigeru.

"You want Tsukushi, don't you?" He stopped as Shigeru stood up to face him. His body went rigid as he looked at her.

"We'll both be losers in the end unless we work together. I keep Tsukasa, you keep Tsukushi… Rui, it's only fair to you. You were the one who knew her first. Keep it a secret for me and you'll have her. That's all Rui, that's all."

Rui stomped out, not turning back to see Shigeru's mouth curled upwards.

* * *

Rui gripped the steering wheel tightly as he stepped on the accelerator. Shigeru was more wily than he thought. Her proposed deal, an indecent proposal the more he thought about it was ridiculous.

But he could not fathom why he was actually considering it. He braked suddenly and stared out.

He had discovered Shigeru's affair with Kunisawa Amon one day when he happened to be out entertaining clients. He hated entertaining clients but since they happened to be his firm's largest clients, he did not have much of a choice. As the company stumbled out in reverie, Rui who was sober since he hated drinking happened to spot a couple making out in a corner of the deserted alley.

He did not give much attention until a familiar logo stopped him. It was a diamond brooch that was shaped in the two letters _Tsb_. Only one person in the world would have such a brooch and that was Shigeru. Despite her misgivings, Tsubaki had crafted a diamond brooch for Shigeru from her jewelry line for her wedding to Tsukasa. He looked harder and realized it was Shigeru.

"Shigeru." He stated plainly as he stood in front of the couple. The female was startled and broke away. Even in the dim light of the alley, he could make her out. He turned his attention to the male.

It was his turn to be startled.

"Kunisawa Amon. Why? Do I happen to look like your good friend?" The guy smirked. Rui had an urge to punch him suddenly. Instead, he grabbed Shigeru's arm.

"Let's go! What on earth are you doing here! You're betraying Tsukasa! " Shigeru tried to wriggle free.

"Let me go! Why should I go back! To that cold, unfeeling husband of mine! He is probably more than happy to find a reason to get rid of me!" She managed to free her arm. Rui blinked and let her go.

"At least I am happy. For the moment." Shigeru added, softly. Amon took her and led her away. Rui looked at her retreating back.

He realised now that Amon was merely a substitute for Tsukasa, in Shigeru's eyes. She had not been able to win the affections of Tsukasa and so, turned to a look alike. There was the desperate need to be affirmed, something which no one could give her.

In the end, she had not been able to stop loving Tsukasa.

* * *

A tapping on his car window stopped his train of thought and he wound it down unconsciously. Tsukushi's brown eyes peered at him, full of worry and concern.

"Rui? Are you ok? Why are you parked here? Come in, it's cold." She smiled.

* * *

Tsukushi had gone to bed and the three guys were in the living room of Rui's apartment. Soujirou and Akira looked at Rui, who was sipping his coffee nonchantly.

"What is it?" He asked, after they had been staring at him for the last five minutes. Soujiro cleared his throat.

"Rui, answer us truthfully, ok?" He shrugged.

"Did you sleep with Shigeru?" Rui nearly spat his coffee out. Akira and Soujiro heaved sighs of relief.

"WHAT?"

"Well, forgive us but you did give us that sneaky suspicion when you left! How were we to know! But you went to see Shigeru? And…?"

"Nothing."

"Oh come on!" The two playboys egged him on further but Rui was not to be moved. He was used to his friends' antics anyway.

"I'm going to sleep. Good night. You can stay in the guest rooms, if you like." With that he left them.

"Something's up." Akira flicked his hair and yawned

"Definitely. And can you stop flicking your hair?!" They both gave in to the long night and trudged off to sleep.

* * *

Tsukushi tossed in her bed, unable to fall asleep. She let out a sigh and tossed the blankets aside. She loosened her hair and got out of bed.

She walked down the small corridor and turned left. She hesitated as she stopped in front of a door but still turned the knob and walked in.

As noiselessly as she could, she walked to the sleeping figure and crouched besides him, looking at him.

Hanazawa Rui was always so beautiful. She had thought he looked like an angel when he slept. She knew because she always watched him fall asleep during their many projects in law school as well as at work. Sometimes, she had to tuck him in bed just to get him to rest.

They were that comfortable and familiar with each other. If she were honest with herself, Tsukushi knew that she always liked Rui and there would always be residual feelings for him.

Her feelings for Tsukasa's were stormy, like the wind. It was always there, waning at times or strong like a gale. At times, it could overwhelm her like a typhoon, or be as refreshing as a breeze in the hot summer.

But Rui… she never told anyone but she always loved him. He never seemed to notice, and that was when she gave up. And when she gave up, Tsukasa walked into her life.

And slowly, she let her eyelids flutter shut, sleeping besides Rui, the only constant in her life.

* * *

Reviews are appreciated. 


	8. We all thought

**Walking Right out of My Life: Chapter 8**

Inspiration hit and here I am with Chapter 8. Enjoy and thank you all for the very lovely reviews.

* * *

Why, oh why, was it so difficult to watch her as her eyelids fluttered shut? Hanazawa Rui brushed a stray lock of hair away, watching her sleeping form.

Her body rose, then fell, in a hypnotic rhythm which threatened to lull him to a soundless eternity of watching and waiting. After all, that was what he had been doing best for the past eight years.

Had it been eight years since they first knew each other? Or was it longer? From the first day they met, it had been nothing more than a relationship of convenience. She was a mugger whose very existence in one of Tokyo's elite law schools depended on nothing but less than stellar grades. He was certainly a brainy one but his lackluster attendance for lectures ate up a bit of his grade and often left him hanging with a B which he loathed.

So he had made friends with her. Rather, he had forced her to be his group project mate, well aware that she would ensure he was up to date with the happenings in classes as well as getting a good grade at the end of the semester.

Along the way, she saw his many sides. And along the way, she fell in love with him. But he was in love with Shizuka then, rather foolish of him to do so. When Shizuka finally told him gently that there was no way they could be together, he had crumbled and broke, in front of Tsukushi.

He was unsure of his feelings towards her all this while. But he finally knew what she meant to him the day she had broke the news of going out with Tsukasa to him.

The intense overwhelming jealousy which took him by surprise, was perhaps no surprise if he had thought very carefully of it. And jealousy could only spring from one thing- that of love.

And it was unrequited love or that, or so he thought.

* * *

Tsukasa drowned yet another glass of whisky and hurled the glass against the wall. The headache was still there and he clenched his fists to his forehead.

He did not know which would kill him more. Headache or heartache? Possibly both. His mind raced back to the scene of her telling him to go away. The way she had stood in front of Rui, begging him to stop fighting. The way she had hugged Rui, crying uncontrollably.

It was unfamiliar. All these while, he had thought she was happy. How little he knew, how foolish he was! He remembered the first day she had met him as his divorce lawyer, a lawyer assigned to him from Rui's law firm. She had been upfront of his smarty attitude and gave him a piece of her mind after waiting 5 hours for him.

"_Why the hell do you even bother?" He had shouted, albeit tiredly after the last half an hour of screaming._

"_Good question. I'll answer you when I can think of something. Right now, you just cooperate with me." _

And so he had. Along the way, with the numerous coffee meetings, he opened up to her bit by bit. She never had to coax him to do so, surprisingly. And one day, he just held her hand as they were walking. She had looked surprised, but made no attempt to remove it and he took it as a positive sign.

He kissed her a few weeks later, unaware that he had stolen her first kiss. He had been her first lover, but he never knew of it until Rui told him that she never had a boyfriend all her life.

He had thought by loving her first, she would love him back. She did love him back, but a bit in an obligatory fashion the more he thought of it. He had given her everything he could, expecting the same from her. She did give all she could, but it made her increasingly unhappy.

He had failed to see the warning signs- the cryptic messages, the terse calls, the reluctance.

And Tsukasa cradled his head in his hands, crying.

* * *

Women are born manipulative, as many men would like to think but women knew otherwise. Most women are forced into being manipulative- It was an act of self-preservation.

Shigeru sat in the room next to Tsukasa's, listening to the shattering glass against the wall and finally, the uncontrollable sobs. She thought of how she had fell in love with him at first sight, more than eager to get married with the naïve thought of being able to convince him to love her after marriage.

She was wrong. So very wrong. And she grew bitter, throwing herself into all sorts of carnal pleasures in a bid to drown her very existence.

An existence for a man who did not even care.

But things will change, things do change if you believe in yourself and with that, she got out from the armchair she had been resting in and opened the connecting door.

"Tsukasa." Was all she could say as she brought his limp figure into her bosom. "Tsukasa." She repeated again, as she soothed his hair. And in the stillness of the room, Shigeru could not help but hope.

Yet again.

* * *

Tsukushi stirred and opened her eyes slowly. She bolted upright when she realised blue, mirthful eyes looking at her.

"Oh! Sorry, I…" She fumbled for an excuse but he merely smiled. He brought his hands to her lips.

"Enough." And she fell silent. Somehow, that word seemed to hold sway over her entire universe, a challenge to her to go against it. Enough, when could it be enough? When was it enough?

Maybe it was time for it to be enough.

He looked into her eyes, searching for a question. When he found none, his hands dropped and instead, he brought his lips to hers, in a slow, chaste kiss.

"Enough."

* * *

Reviews are muchly appreciated!!


	9. Never Enough

* * *

Walking Right Out of My Life: Chapter 8

**Walking Right Out of My Life: Chapter 8 **

**Never Enough**

I realized this was one of my most updated stories, and one of the most watched too. So here I am, with another chapter. Reviews are muchly appreciated. Keep me going!

* * *

_Enough. _

Perhaps that was the word Tsukushi had been searching for all this time. She had enough of her poor life and studied hard to win a scholarship with Etikou Law school. She had enough of being a smarty-pants and uncertainly but not unwillingly struck up an odd friendship with Hanazwa Rui. She had enough of being bossed around in the Ministry of Law after graduation and joined Rui's law firm. She had enough of being lonely, waiting for Rui to get over Shizuka and ended up with Tsukasa.

And now, she had enough of all that was happening.

In her instinctive weed-like mode (which Soujiro coined for the lady Akira and him had grown so fondly of in the past few years), she suddenly moved away from Rui, putting her hand to her lips.

Rui just looked at her steadily, as if knowing what she was up to. But if someone were to stare harder, they would have seen the slight droop in his mouth.

"What…"

"was that for?" He finished her sentence. He smiled slowly, albeit sadly at her. And truth be told, he did not know either.

"Rui… I…"

"Tsukushi." He said softly. "I will wait."

She looked at him, surprised. It was if he had read her mind. Everything was going too fast. She could not adjust suddenly to the reality of things. As it was, the past 48 hours had been a total nightmare.

And suddenly, she saw him not just as Hanazawa Rui, but as Rui. The man who had waited for her to come back, to him. Here was a man who stood, knowing what belonged to him and instead of forcing that thing or person to come back to him, he would wait.

"Thank you." And she kissed him.

And this time, words unspoken were unnecessary for they both knew what the other meant.

* * *

Tsukasa dreamt again. He dreamt of the last time he had held her hand, in the last flickering glowers of the sunset. She turned him, smiling that sad smile and suddenly, he woke up.

He was startled when he realized he was just next to Shigeru on their bed. It had been a long while since he had last slept in this bed. Before he met Tsukushi, he slept in the suite in his mother's hotel. After he met Tsukushi, he slept over at Tsukushi's apartment.

He looked at the figure curled up next to him, a visible baby bump resting lightly on the bed. He touched it cautiously. How could it be his? He did not quite buy the argument that he could do it at one shot. Besides, he was drunk that night and he did not even know if he had sex with Shigeru.

Shigeru was beautiful. But so was Tsukushi. He felt a wave of… pity. Pity? Possibly the most inappropriate word to use for his wife but it was a sham marriage anyway. He never loved her.

But if she really was carrying his baby, then…?

He forced himself not to think of that possibility. He would tell her to take a DNA test for the baby and then, things would be clearer.

But Tsukushi?

His heart throbbed just thinking of that name. Wait. Had she known..?

With so many question marks hanging over him, it was if some divine being had read his mind when the butler opened the door softly, so as not wake the young mistress.

"Tsukasa-sama, Tsukushi-san called to leave you a message."

* * *

Soujiro was taking a. very. slow. walk. back home from Rui's place. Akira and he ended up drinking the night away, rambling and ranting. He tried to wean out Akira's latest girlfriend, who was somewhat of a mystery. Everyone knew that Akira had a new girlfriend because of the simple and obvious fact- He had that dreamy look in his face.

"Disgusting." As Soujiro had declared. But Akira had remained stubbornly quiet about it, only drunkenly revealing something, "You know her!" and fell asleep after that.

Idiot. Soujiro on the other hand was still leading the fast life. Fast cars, fast women. Of course he worked hard. He had broken away from his family in the end, after his brother's footsteps and set up his own tea company.

"Hello?" He hated it when people called him early in the morning.

"Nishikado-san? Will you be in the office today? Another news agency wants to interview you on your specialty tea shop."

"Not today. I will be in the office later but turn away those idiotic reporters." And with that, he switched off his phone. Akira would call, but he knew where to find Soujiro anyway.

Soujiro reached the small park which led straight to the exclusive and posh apartment he bought when he had broken away from his family. The park was home to him, and he sat on a bench. It was spring, and the weather was pleasant to warrant a small silver of time of sitting in a park.

His company dealt primarily with the trading of exotic tea leaves but it was his specialty tea shop that made him famous. And he owed this success to a very special lady.

"_Soujiro-san, perhaps you could set up a tea shop? Selling tea and small cakes? A quiet place away from the city."_

"_Who would go, if it was not in the city?" He asked as he lay on her lap lazily._

"_I would." And she smiled quietly. _

And so he had set up the shop, a small shop in a small village in the suburbs of Tokyo. And it had become an instant success. At the pinnacle of its success, she disappeared.

Even Tsukushi did not know where she had disappeared to, apart from a letter she had left.

Matsuoko Yuki.

Soujiro let out a soft sigh, and sat in the shades of the trees.

* * *

Tsukushi waited nervously in the café. After what happened with Rui, she was not so sure of herself anymore. And she thought that she was above all that brouhaha of guys and heartaches.

She was just a normal woman and that scared her.

She glanced at her watch and frowned. He was usually on time… but oh well. She could wait anyway.

"Tsukushi?" She looked up to see Tsukasa's personal assistant. She must have looked surprised for he cleared his throat to explain. "Tsukasa-sama isn't coming. But he gave this to me to pass it to you. I'll be off then." He bowed as he handed her an envelope and walked briskly away.

She seized up in fear as she fingered the envelope. Should she open it? Ugh. What was he doing? Playing games?

She gave in to her curiousity and opened it. Out fluttered a photograph, of her staring out at the sea, smiling a sad smile. She bit her lip as she turned over to see his scribblings.

"Did you always feel this way, when you were with me?"

* * *

Reviews!


	10. Foolish We Are All

**Walking Right out of My Life: Chapter 9**

**Foolish We All Are**

"Foolish... foolish..." Tsukushi muttered as she sat her table, piecing together the shreds of what she believed to be the most DAMNING piece of thing in her possession.

_Did you always feel this way, when you were with me? _An uncontrollable wave of anger had seized her then when she had read what he had scrawled. Was he accusing her? How could he? That bastard! And yet, here she was in her room, correction, Rui's room, trying hard to put that photograph back together because she missed the writing and yearned to read it again.

Or maybe she just missed him.

"I'm a foolish woman." She said finally as her eyelids drooped. She should have known better than to have ripped that photograph into small bits and pieces.

As she drifted off to sleep, her head on the table, Rui opened the door to the room quietly. He knew something had happened because she had practically stormed into the house, and slammed the door shut, a subtle indication of how she wished to be left alone.

He shifted her to the bed next to the table and laid her to sleep. Giving her a soft peck on the forehead, he directed his attention to the said photograph on the table. He saw the scotch tape which had been cut and pasted so carefully to put the pieces together. He saw the tears that had fallen onto the glossy material.

And he saw how the photograph once ripped, was never the same again, no matter the efforts taken to piece it back together.

And that was how he saw her heart.

"Foolish." He said softly, and left the room.

* * *

Tsukasa swirled his scotch, eyes glowering. Soujiro glanced at him in annoyance.

"Keep that up and I won't be able to bed anyone tonight."

"Fuck you Jiro. Can you STOP thinking of sex for once?" And he gulped the scotch. Soujiro ran his fingers through his hair. "And where is Akira?"

"Beats me. He said he'll be late. Meeting someone... maybe his girlfriend?"

"Girlfriend?" Tsukasa shot Soujiro a look. Soujiro shrugged.

"He isn't telling." Tsukasa snorted and went back to his drink. Soujiro leaned towards Tsukasa. "So... is Shigeru really pregnant?"

"Are you blind?"

"I mean, DUH. Your child?"

"Don't know."

"Tsukasa, stop running away." Tsukasa looked at his old friend warily.

"I'm not."

"Face it. Tsukushi's gone, you got your wife pregnant. That's it."

"LiKE WHAT WOULD YOU KNOW?!" Soujiro held his hands out in surrender.

"I am not picking a fight with you. I'm going out for fresh air." And he slipped out of the VIP area before Tsukasa could bite his head off. Tsukasa took another swig. Running away? Heck. If it was anything, it was Makino Tsukushi was doing the running, not him, right?

* * *

"Not today hun." Soujiro said flippantly and signalled to the bouncer to get the pestering woman away from him. Far away from him. The crowd was maddening, and it did not help so many women came up to him asking when he was going to find them.

He took in a deep gulp of the cool air outside, free of the smoke and sleaze. He flipped his phone open and dialled Akira's number.

"Hey you are on voicemail? What the hell?! You get your ass down before Tsukasa kills me." He was about to turn back into the club when his eyes narrowed.

That familiar back... it looked way too familiar. Someone... he had known from a long time ago. The figure got into a taxi, and the taxi pulled away from the club, fading into the distance.

And then, it hit him.

"Yuki!" He screamed as he hurtled down the street, chasing after the disappearing figure.

* * *

"Yo. Where's Jiro?" Akira asked, eyes twinkling as he slid into the booth next to Tsukasa.

"Don't give a shit."

"Stop drinking so much. Oh, lover boy, where have you been?" Akira welcomed the playboy, who looked visibly ruffled.

"I saw Yuki." Akira stiffened at that but it was hardly noticeable, at least to the other two.

"Then where's she?" Tsukasa asked the obvious.

"She was in a cab. I couldn't catch up." And with that, Soujiro fell into a sullen silence.

* * *

Tsukushi stirred as she groaned and placed her hand against her forehead. Wait. Why was she in bed? She forced herself to sit up and blinked.

Oh yes. Hanazawa Rui's house. She forgot she was staying at his place temporarily. Her glance fell on the clock on the table. 3am. Wow.

She hesitated on getting out of bed, but felt thirsty and forced herself out. She walked past Rui's study and stopped suddenly.

"You don't try to play games around here, Shigeru." _Shigeru? What was she doing in Rui's study so early in the morning?_ Tsukushi thought better than to eavesdrop but, well if she was discreet, no one would know. She leant cautiously on the door.

"Rui... I really did the test. And it's spelt out there in black and white."

"How do I know you aren't lying again, as you have been the past few months?" Rui asked, his eyes boring into Shigeru's. But the pregnant woman was not fazed. She chuckled slightly.

"Well, it's not a matter of whether you want to believe it, but rather..." She reached out to touch Rui's hand. "What you want to believe in."

Rui jerked his hand away from Shigeru's, as though he had touched a hot iron. "So it's a lie?"

"I didn't say that. The results say that my unborn child is truly Tsukasa's." Tsukushi stiffled a small gasp and covered her mouth.

"You could have manipulated the results. After all, you were cheating on Tsukasa before that!" Tsukushi's eyes widened. _Shigeru... cheating...?_

"Oh, and my dear husband was not guilty of that?" Her eyes narrowed. Rui remained silent. "Anyway, all I want to do is to confirm the fact that my child is Tsukasa's, and as long as that remains, you can chase Tsukushi all you want. Because she will never let Tsukasa give up his child."

It was Rui's turn to chuckle. "You are foolish, Shigeru. Tsukushi is stronger than that. So is Tsukasa. " He paused. "If she wants to go back to Tsukasa, I will not stop her. That's... what love is." He added quietly.

Shigeru stared at Rui. "You are the foolish one." And her chair scraped back, indicating her intention to leave. Tsukushi quickly ran back to her room, before the door to Rui's study opened. She quickly settled herself under the covers, somehow aware that Rui would be coming in her room to check on her.

The door to her room opened and Rui closed it gently. He wandered over to the bed, sitting next to the sleeping figure.

"Tsukushi... " He sighed. "We are all so foolish." He gave her a peck on the forehead and left the room.

And a tear rolled down Tsukushi's face, as she muffled her sobs into the pillow.

* * *

_Fools._ It was 4am and Tsukasa had enough. Soujiro was looking as sulky as hell, and Akira was strangely quiet.

"What is going on with you both!" He spat as he got up and stumbled, trying to leave. The two did not try to stop him from leaving and he just shook his head and went off.

It was a cool night and he got into the waiting car. He could feel a throbbing headache come over him. His handphone beeped and he looked at it for the first time since he had reached the club. 3 texts from Shigeru and oh, none from Tsukushi. How surprising.

He was about to fling his phone onto the floor of the car when it started to ring. The caller id was unmistakable and Tsukasa blinked to make sure he was not seeing things. He quickly accepted the call, afraid that the caller would hang up.

"Tsukushi?"

"... Tomorrow, the same place as yesterday. Don't send another photo, please."

"Tsukushi... I"

"You're slurring and you're obviously drunk. Don't talk to me until tomrrow." And with that, the caller hung up. Tsukasa slumped against the backseat. He had feared meeting her, because he was afraid of what she would say again, as if to confirm she never wanted to be with him.

But it seemed she was determined to say her bit. And to that, Tsukasa was powerless to deny her determination. Maybe Soujiro was right. He had been running away all these while.

What a fool he was.

* * *

"Jiro?" Akira finally broke the silence and looked at his friend. "I... I have something to confess."

For the first time that night, Soujiro looked up from his drink, visibly surprised.

"Confess?"

"Jiro... Yuki's back and I know why she's back." Soujiro stared at his friend, dumbfounded. Akira cleared his throat and took a deep breath.

"We're getting married."

* * *


	11. Flavour of Life

**Chapter 9: Flavour of Life**

"We're getting married."

* * *

Soujiro stared in stunned silence at his friend. Were his ears playing tricks on him? What had Akira just said? Akira meanwhile, looked solemn.

"Look...I know it's hard to take this."

"Fuck you."

"Jiro..."

"FUCK YOU AKIRA!!!!" Soujiro screamed, hurling the whisky glass at Akira, who instinctively put his arm up to shield the glass, the said object smashing into bits, cutting into his arm.

"Jiro!!" Akira shouted as Soujiro got up to leave. "Listen to me!" Soujiro just shook his head and sprinted for the exit, his head swirling too fast.

"FUCK. YOU." Soujiro spat as he banged the door behind him shut.

* * *

She opened the door quietly and slipped in, noticing the mess that had been left behind. She whimpered when she saw the blood, and walked towards Akira. She merely tsk-ed, and took out her handkerchief to help wipe the blood away and used the reverse side to tie a neat bandage.

"You told him?" She asked, as she helped put a final knot to the make-shift bandage. Akira nodded, his face taut.

"Yuki, you have to tell him."

"I can't...Akira, I just can't." Akira let out a sigh and put his hands on her shoulders, looking into her eyes.

"Do it."

"Do what?" Akira turned suddenly at the familiar voice which had emerged from the shadows, while Yuki merely stood rooted to the spot, unwilling to let herself turn to look at him.

Soujiro.

"Do what?" Soujiro asked again as he advanced towards the pair. "What is it, Akira?" He looked his friend in the eye.

Akira cleared his throat, uncertain."I thought you had left."

"Well I left the keys to my motorcycle behind." Soujiro stopped in front of Yuki and stared. Yuki looked away immediately, her eyes cast onto the floor.

"Jiro, I can explain..."

"Leave."

"Jiro..."

"LEAVE." Akira closed his eyes and nodded dumbly. He patted Yuki on the shoulder and got up to leave. The door closed gently, and suddenly, he was gone. Yuki still refused to look at the man standing in front of her, biting her lip nervously.

Soujiro could not stand it any longer and put his arms around her, crushing her against his body without warning. She let out a small squeal but he refused to let go, inhaling deeply the scent of her hair. He buried his face in it, holding her tightly.

"Why?"

Yuki was crying by then, half sobbing and half gasping for air and realising that he was going to suffocate her, Soujiro let go reluctantly, his arms still encircled around her waist.

"What's wrong, Yuki? There must be something going on."

Yuki took in a deep breath and looked at Soujiro, her eyes brimming with tears yet again. Finally, in a small whisper, she finally answered his question with a simple statement.

"I am dying."

* * *

It was a cold morning, considering how early it was. Tsukushi blew onto her hands, waiting on the bench. She had surprised herself with what she was about to do, or rather, what she already had done. Finally, she saw a figure in the distance and she waved.

"Shigeru, how are you?" Tsukushi asked softly as Shigeru smiled, taking the spot next to her. Tsukushi could not help notice the strain in her smile, the eyebags and all.

"I am fine. So what was it that you had to call me out so early?" Shigeru shifted her position to make herself more comfortable. Her growing bump were making things a little uncomfortable for her everyday movements and she did wish that someone would care for her.

"I... I am sorry." She looked at Tsukushi in surprise, the sudden confession catching her off-guard. Tsukushi looked at her straight in the eyes, honesty shining through. She reached out for Shigeru's hands and placed her hands over Shigeru's.

"I'm sorry for taking Tsukasa away. I'm sorry for all the misery I caused you." Shigeru's eyes started to mist over, tears welling up. She did blame Tsukushi for causing the demise of her marriage but secretly, she knew it had been over from the beginning. But there was someone convenient to blame, yet she could not help but love Tsukushi as a friend.

"You... you don't have to be sorry." Shigeru said in a shaky voice. Tsukushi shook her head.

"I overheard your conversation with Rui yesterday and I know that no matter what you did, you did it because you loved Tsukasa. And he deserves to know that. And this.." She reached out to touch Shigeru's bump. "Is proof of it. Never doubt it because you don't have to or need to."

"Tsukushi..." Was all Shigeru could say before she burst into tears. Tsukushi hugged her friend tightly, the words she could not convey shown through the tightness of the hug she gave.

She had thought it over carefully all night. She knew Shigeru was not a manipulative woman, she only had to do so because she was desperate. And Tsukushi was certain that it was her presence that had driven Shigeru to desperation. She could not take something away from someone who had nothing. And the worst thing was when she did not even know if she even wanted to take away that said person, Tsukasa.

Her doubts, her fears, her sadness, her feelings for RUi had always been a sticky issue when dealing with Tsukasa and perhaps she had found her answer.

"I love you Shigeru and will always be here for you as a friend."

* * *

Tsukasa waited nervously at the cafe, his mood unsettled. Shigeru had left the house early in the morning and he had felt slightly guilty for being so unconcerned knowing that it had been cold outside.

He leaned back into the chair, feeling extremely fatigued all of a sudden. He was not talking to Rui, his ex-wife was pregnant, and now he was meeting Tsukushi, the one woman who had caused him so much heartache and yet brought him happiness.

"Sorry I'm late." A familiar voice said as Tsukushi sat down on the empty chair across the table. "Oh nothing for me, thank you." She said to the waiter who had promptly appeared. Tsukasa frowned.

"So, what now?" He asked, unsure. Tsukushi sucked in a deep breath.

"We go our separate ways."

"Why?" Was the simple question, which had remained profoundly difficult to answer.

"Because."

"Because?"

"Because I don't know if I love you." And so, she had finally said it. She had finally admitted to herself loud and clear what she had always thought but never fully understood what it meant. The shock on Tsukasa's face was apparent, his entire body errect which then finally slumped in a sign of defeat.

"What? You don't love me?"

"Tsukasa, it is not that simple." She let out a sigh. "But for all the time we have been together, I do not deny I was happy. I was happy, excited at something new happening in my life but it sucked my soul, it consumed me and it made me go against my principles."

"Huh? Are you telling me I was bad for you?"

"It's not that... It's just that you swept me off my feet and I barely had time to register all that was happening, and when I finally had time to do so, I realised I never considered the simple question of whether I loved you truly. And it is not fair to you if that is the case because you are giving up too much to be with me."

"I can give up anything to be with you Tsukushi. You know that!" Tsukasa exclaimed, his hands up the air in exasperation. "Anything!"

"Tsukasa, love..." Tsukushi looked him with a soft, yet sad expression. "Love does not concern just the two parties involved. It concerns the people around them who love them as well like our friends. We have hurt too many people and it's not right. It... It just isn't."

Tsukasa drew in a sharp breath, stung by the words which rang hollow in his ears. It was the pure simple truth that had been staring at him all these while, but he did not give a damn about it.

He had been too selfish, too obsessed with loving Tsukushi. And somehow, that had ruined everything. He clenched his fists, feeling a wave of intense anger and sadness rising through him.

She had noticed, and put her hand over the clenched fists. She looked squarely at him, her eyes telling him to let go. And he did, somehow.

"Shigeru is waiting for you. It's time you gave her a chance."

"But I love you."

"Love can be cultivated, Tsukasa. But for the both of us, I am telling you right now that I am not going to give it a chance simply because you have the best woman in the world waiting for you to love her back and..."

"And?" His eyes softening at her words, the way they always did when they were together. She always had that calming effect on him.

"And I have the best man in the world waiting for me to love him back."

Tsukasa closed his eyes. Breathe. In. Breathe. Out. His mind swirled, his heart heavy but strangely, everything appeared crystal clear to him. The murkiness of the past weeks faded away, as he opened his eyes and looked into Tsukushi's eyes shining with tears.

"Take care Tsukushi. I love you I always will." He stood up, chair scrapping against the floor and turned to leave. Suddenly, he felt a pair of arms wrapping around his chest, and stopped.

"Thank you." Came the whisper and he turned around to face her. Very slowly, she tip-toed to kiss him on the lips, a kiss tinged with sadness and regret, yet filled with wishes for a bright future ahead, without her that is.

"No, thank you." And with that, he left, walking out of her life.

* * *

Yuki gasped as Soujiro took his hands off her eyes. It was the most quaint tea shop she had ever seen, and it was surrounded by lush greenery, a small brook that gurgled next to it, the sun shining pleasantly on it.

She sucked in a deep breath when she saw the sign-board that hung over the entrace which read 'Yuki Tea'.

"Like it?" Soujiro smiled, pushing her backwards for her to lean against him. When he did not receive a reply, he looked down to see her crying, tears streaming down her face yet again.

"Yuki, what's wrong?" He asked worriedly.

"Jiro... Why do all this, for me?" She asked, sobbing into his shirt, her lithe frame shaking. He smiled and drew her from his soaked shirt, looking deep into her eyes.

"Because I love you. And I want to spend the rest of my life with you, till death do us part. Yuki, don't run away from me again, ever."

And to that, Yuki could only nod, finally content. Despite her illness casting a gloom over the future, his mere words were comfort enough to dispel that gloom. She buried her head in his chest, at peace. Soujiro grasped her shoulders tightly, an indication of his promise to keep her with him for good. In the distance, Akira observed from his car and smiled, happy that at least this story had a somewhat happy ending.

* * *

Shigeru sat quietly in the room, alone on the massive bed. She was tired but yet, glad at the same time. She closed her eyes remembering what Tsukushi had said earlier. Those words gave her strength, gave her the courage to go on at a time when she had seriously doubted herself.

Just then, the door clicked open and she saw Tsukasa enter. He closed the door quietly and walked over, sitting next to her on the massive bed.

"How long have we been married?" He asked suddenly, breaking the serenity of the room.

"5 years."

"Next month's our 6th anniversary, isn't it?" She looked at him, surprised that he would even remember. He chuckled softly and looked at her with an expression she had never seen before. It was one that she had seen him giving Tsukushi before, but never to her. Her hopes raised, she placed a hand over his. He did not shake it off.

"Shigeru, let's start all over again. Let me learn to..." He trailed off at the end, but regained his voice. "Let me learn to love you."

And she hugged him tightly, her tears a confirmation to his words.

* * *

Rui woke up the smell of fried food and got out of bed, trudging sleepily to the kitchen. He saw a cheery Tsukushi busying about in the kitchen and smiled.

"Yo."

"OH!" She screamed suddenly, nearly dropping the plate she had been holding. She rolled her eyes, looking at him.

"You asshole, don't scare me like that! And look at the time! It's 3pm already and you are still in bed!!!!" She threw a dirty towel at him and he promptly ducked. "You missed a lot of things while you were asleep." She said the last sentence softly, looking distant.

He grew concerned, moving closer towards her. "Something happened?" She looked at him, smiling.

"Yes. I made up my mind." He frowned, not knowing what to expect.

"I love you, Rui. I always have and I hope we can work things out." His eyes widened, surprised by her confession. She looked at him worriedly when he did not make a sound, just looking at her. "I mean... You don't have to answer now because... well, you don't have to." She reddened, hastily turning back to the pan unsure of why he was acting this way.

She dropped the ladle as his arms went around her, grabbing her tightly. He nuzzled her hair, kissing her softly.

"Thank you Tsukushi. Things will work out." She smiled but frowned when his hand reached out to turn off the fire.

"Hey! The soup...!"

"Never mind the soup." He turned her around, forcing her to stare deep into those marble eyes which made her drown in them. He bent down to kiss her, the mere touch of their lips setting off every neuron in the body, setting their emotions on fire. It was a kiss too long, yet too short, too late, yet just on time.

When they finally broke off, gasping for air, Rui reached out to hold her hand in a firm grip that told her he was not going to let go, ever.

"I love you."

* * *


	12. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

Yuki was buried on a quiet Saturday morning, the sky was blue, the grass was green and spring was evident with the flowers in full bloom. Even though it had been a short two years since reuniting with Soujiro, every day had been spent in bliss and contentment.

Soujiro was reluctant to let her go, until she finally whispered that she was ready to leave the suffering, finally content that she basked in his love that he told the doctor to stop the morphine.

It had been painful, cutting through his entire being that he contemplated suicide just to ease the pain. But Yuki being Yuki, had made him swear that he would never do such a stupid thing just because she was not around.

"You have the tea shop to look after, and you better look after it well since you named it after me." She warned, with a twinkle in her eyes.

And here he stood in a the cemetery, watching fresh dirt being shovelled onto her coffin. Akira stood behind him, morose and solemn. Yuki had been a younger sister to him and when she had first come with the strange request of asking him to pose as her fiance to shake off Soujiro did he then find out what had happened. He was glad she had found happiness with Soujiro in the end. In fact, somehow his friends had all found happiness in their own way. He cast a glance at Tsukasa who was holding onto a small baby, waving to the small baby who was undeniably and unbearably cute.

The baby squirmed in Tsukasa's arms, gurgling happily as he reached for the nearest lock of hair which belonged to his mother. Tsukasa smiled slightly, shifting the baby. He looked at Shigeru who stood next to him, shaking his head at the bundle of energy.

It had been trying for the both of them to start something but they tried their best, and somehow the arrival of the baby made it easier. There was without a doubt the baby belonged to Tsukasa with the trademark curly hair but the one thing that had made Tsukasa appreciate Shigeru was the 22 hour labour she had struggled with to produce the beautiful son they now had.

He was getting there, and Shigeru knew it. Tsukasa turned to see what his son was distracted with behind his back and saw Tsukushi standing behind him, smiling at the baby. They caught each other's eye and Tsukushi smiled. He nodded back in return and looked ahead again.

Things had been awkward initially and it had stung him a little to see her together with Rui. But the stinging pain faded with time and they now spoke on occasion.

Tsukushi smiled at the little bundle of joy, geniunely happy for Shigeru and Tsukasa. She had bawled her eyes out on knowing the condition of her dear friend, but Yuki had refused to accept her tears, telling her that Tsukushi's happiness would be the best gift to her instead. And so, she married Rui in a quiet ceremony, with her best friend in attendance together with the rest of the F4, her friend shedding tears of joy as she saw Tsukushi's life complete.

She squeezed Rui's hand, her fingers touching the silver band which rested on his fourth finger. Rui squeezed it back, knowing that it was difficult for her to see her best friend buried. But Tsukushi was strong, and she knew Yuki would not have liked to see her crying so she kept her tears. They would come out on occasion but he knew that she would remain strong in the end.

He was finally talking to Tsukasa again, and it took him little to invite him to the wedding. He wanted Tsukasa to participate in his joy, and he was elated when his friend had gruffly nodded his acceptance.

It had taken a full circle for all of them to achieve this happiness. Each had walked right out of another's life, only to enter yet another's. As Soujiro placed a white rose on the fresh dirt that now covered his beloved, each said a small prayer for Yuki and for themselves.

**The End. **

* * *

I couldn't figure out how to drag the story on any further and before it got too soap-operaish, I decided to end it the way I wanted it to end. Thank you all for your lovely reviews and do review my ongoing story Hardball. Thank you once again. :)


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